Brown, Upper Darby top Perkiomen Valley in District 1-6A second round to clinch states

GRATERFORD >> Upper Darby coach Bob Miller had already turned his back in frustration.

Locked in a tight battle at No. 7 Perkiomen Valley, the Royals were about to see their nine-point fourth quarter lead whittled to a single point after a mid-court turnover became a breakaway layup opportunity for PV.

No one – not Miller, not the PV offense – ever saw Crishaun Cain closing on the play.

But Cain’s resounding rejection ignited a 10-1 run in the fourth quarter as Upper Darby regained control and advanced to the District 1 6A quarterfinals with a 55-45 victory at PV Tuesday night.

Niymire Brown was the main story, leading the way with 28 points and 17 rebounds on a night when Upper Darby’s outside shots weren’t falling.

“We’re always looking for the best shot on every possession – pretty simple,” said Brown. “Thanks to my teammates, I got a lot of open looks tonight.”

“That’s the hard part – our perimeter guys are usually on point from the outside,” added longtime Upper Darby coach Miller. “As a coach, I can’t tell them to stop doing what’s worked all year.

“But there comes a point where you say, ‘OK, it’s not our night on the outside – let’s get it in to Niymire.”

Cain’s block was the most prominent example of Upper Darby’s formula for clinching their first berth in PIAA 6A states since 2018 with Tuesday night’s win. Forced out of their offensive comfort zone by PV’s dogged defense, the Royals replied with a gritty effort of their own, holding explosive PV junior Julian Sadler to 12 points.

“It’s the first trip [to states] for this group,” said Miller. “And it’s a great feeling because they’re all such good friends. This [making states] was a major goal, and to win this game tonight the way we did is special.”

The game was billed as a contrast in styles, Upper Darby’s high-scoring offense against the more methodical Vikings. But as the game wore on, the Royals made the slower pace work for them, thanks in large part to the inside duo of Brown and Yassir Joyner (15 points).

Point guard Nadir Myers (nine points) had a quieter-than-usual scoring night but was instrumental to the victory in his ability to recognize PV’s varied defensive approaches.

“When I see these defenses, I identify them and look to Coach for the call,” said Myers.

“But I’m talking to everyone, telling them to take their time, and trying to find the mismatch inside that zone.”

Brown provided that mismatch, finishing on most of his opportunities and providing a safety valve, in Miller’s words, on a cold shooting night. He kept multiple possessions alive on the offensive boards, and his four blocks – three in the first half – served to discourage PV from inside forays of their own on numerous occasions.

A 30-28 halftime score in favor of the Royals was 42-33 by the end of the third, but PV opened the fourth with eight consecutive points before Brown’s layup put UD up 44-41 with just under four minutes to play.

The ensuing possession saw an errant pass lead to the breakaway, triggering Cain’s momentum-swinging rejection with just over three minutes to play.

Brown converted another layup – the last of his 12 field goals – quickly followed by a short jumper from Myers and a Joyner and-one.
The Royals iced the game with five consecutive free throws in the dying minutes.

The first quarter saw a battle of inside vs. outside, as Brown and Kyle Shawaluk of PV took contrasting paths to 8-point starts. Shawaluk and Sadler would tie for PV’s team lead with 12.

Shawaluk ended a 10-0 Royals run in the final minute of the quarter, but UD held a 14-11 advantage after one.

Upper Darby‘s only three pointers came in the second quarter on connections from Khysir Slaughter and Myers.

Slaughter and Lovo Mulbah were instrumental in frustrating Sadler and the PV offense. The Vikings managed only five points in the third quarter and 17 after halftime.

The Royals (19-7) continue the district journey against Central League rival No. 2 Lower Merion on Friday, a winner over Neshaminy on Tuesday.

“They’re a great team,” said Brown, whose Royals will match up with Lower Merion for the fourth time this season on Friday, “but we’re a family. The key will be playing as one.”

Perk Valley (16-9) welcomes No. 18 Neshaminy in a game with the highest stakes of the season. The winner clinches a berth in states; the loser sees their season come to an end.

“I thought we did a lot of things pretty well against a great pair of players in Brown and Myers,” said PV coach Mike Poysden.

“But we are at that point, that put-up-or-shut-up moment of the season. Tonight our mistakes were magnified, we were struggling to score. It’s not a lack of opportunities, though – we were getting our shots.”

Upper Darby 55, Perkiomen Valley 45

Upper Darby (55): Slaughter 1 0-0 3, Mulbah 0 0-0 0, Myers 4 0-0 9, Joyner 6 3-3 15, Brown 12 4-7 28, Cain 0 0-0 0, Totals 23 7-10 55.
Perkiomen Valley (45): Thear 3 2-2 10, Hansen 1 1-2 4, Sadler 4 3-5 12, Shawaluk 5 0-0 12, McKinney 1 0-0 2, Nelson 1 2-2 5, Totals 15 8-11 45.
Three-point goals: Upper Darby: Slaughter, Myers.
Perkiomen Valley: Thear 2, Shawaluk 2, Hansen, Nelson, Sadler.